Ventilated awning of corrugated fiber glass panels



Sept. 3, 1957 F. J. SMITH 2,804,659

VENT ILATED AWNING OF CORRUGATED FIBER GLASS PANELS Filed Aug. 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR.

MM 3M Sept. 3, 1957 F. J. SMITH 2,804,659

VENTILATED AWNING 0F CORRUGATED FIBER GLASS PANELS Filed Aug. 2'7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Franc/Is J. .Smifh INVENTOR. BY gum admin 3% United States Patent 6) VENTILATED A-WNING F GORRUGATED F-IEER GLASS PANELS Francis J. Smith, Omaha, Nebr. Application August 27, 1-953, Serial No. 376,826

Claims. (Cl. 20.-=-57 .5)

This invention comprises. useful improvements in a ventilated awning of. corrugated. fiber glass panels and more speclfically pertains to an improved manner for fixedly securing. together slats in parallel spaced relation and" in a rigid manner to thus provide a rigid ventilated awning.

The principal-objects of this invention are to provide a rigid ventilated. awning in which an improved and advantageous construction is provided for securing a plurality of slats together in spaced overlapping relation to provide ventilating. apertures therebetween; and wherein the spacing and securing means is such that slats of a translucent. material suchasfiber glass may be advantageousl'y utilized for the roof, side and: valance panels of the: awning.

A further specific object of the invention is to devise and provide a-: combined spacer and fastener which may be ftictionally applied to edges of adjacent overlapping slats for securing the same in fixed, spaced relation, thereby permitting. the use ofanotherwise unsatisfactory material such as fiber glass.

These together withother objectsand advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a suitable embodiment of rigid ventilated awning constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the matter in which the roof and valance panels are secured to a supporting framework and the manner in which the latter is mounted upon a wall adjacent a window or other opening in the same;

Figure 3 is a horizontal, sectional, detail View taken substantially on the plane indicated by the section line 3--3 of Figure 1, and showing in particular the manner in which the side panels are secured to the supporting frame of the awning;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the combined spacers and fasteners by which the fiber glass slats are rigidly secured to each other in spaced relation; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective indicating the manner in which adjacent edges of overlapping panel slats are secured to each other.

In the accompanying drawings, the complete, rigid ventilated awning is seen as composed of a roof panel indicated generally by the numeral 10, end panels 12, and a valance panel 14. These panels are mounted upon a suitable supporting frame, which as shown in Figures 2 nd 3, may conveniently consist of U-shaped channeled members, these consisting of a pair of vertical members 16 which are secured to a vertical supporting surface such as a wall or the like 18 adjacent a window opening (not shown), 'as by means of fastening screws 20. Horizontally disposed U-shaped channeled members 22 extend from thelower ends of the vertical members 16, being attached thereto as, by. fasteners. 24 in the formof bolts,

or the. like. Fromthe upper ends of the'vertical members.16. are disposedinclined U-shaped channeled members comprising rafters 26, which are likewise secured-to the vertical members 16 as by bolts 28. At their outer end-s, the members 22.-and 26. of each of thesides of the, awning are. connected by. bolts 28 and 30 to vertical.

U-shaped. members 32. Suitable battens or other cross members 3.4'may bev provided to connect theouter ends of the members 26 and. 22. together, as suggested in it will be seen that. eachpanel; has. apair of troughs 38.

intermediate its-extremities,,has a ridge 4tlbetweenthese two troughs, and hasqa pair of ridges 40 at points opposite longitudinal. edges. It; will be further observed that one of the ridges. 40 as viewed from the top of the slat is.con-

cave while the, other is convex.

In assembling the slats: together to form a panel, adjacent slats have the convex. surface. of one overlying the concave surface of the adjacent edge of the adjacent panel, as: will be seen clearly from Figuresv 1 and 5. Rivets or. other suitable fasteners 4-2 are provided to secure the troughs: of the slats to the frame members 26 as seen best from Figure 2.

By this construction a single fastener may be relied upon'tosecure each. slat at each end to-one of the rafters,

26 ofv the supporting frame although it is preferred to provide a rivet for each of troughsv 38 of each slat, as shown in Figure 2. In any event, it will be observed that the slats are bonded or secured directly to the frame by fasteners disposed solely at their trough portions.

The ridges comprising the adjacent edges of adjacent slats are disposed in overlapping or overlying relation and combined spacers and retainers are provided for fixedly securing these edges together in spaced relationship to provide ventilating passages therebetween. The spacers and retainers, as shown more clearly in Figure 4, preferably consist of flat plate-like members or blocks 44 which may be constructed of metal, plastic, or other suitable material. These fasteners have a pair of opposite parallel substantially vertical surfaces 46 and 48 and vertically spaced, substantially parallel slots 50 and 52 extend in opposite directions from the edges 46 and 48. These slots have top and bottom walls which have sufficient area to constitute supporting and bearing surfaces to receive and resiliently and frictionally retain the adjacent curved edges of the adjacent slats, as shown clearly in the drawings. In assembling the panel, it is merely necessary to resiliently and frictionally force the adjacent edges of the slats to the slots of the members 44 whereby the edges of slats will be held in rigid spaced relation to thus provide the ventilating passage between these edges and yet retain the edges of the slats in assembled position.

As will be evident, the slats making up the end panels 12 are disposed in vertical relation, but by the same construction previously described. end panel slats are adapted to tightly abut the wall or other supporting surface 18, in order to establish a weather-tight joint therebetween and the resiliency of the slats may be relied upon to resiliently bear against the supporting surface 18 to establish such a joint, which if Patented. Sept. 3, 1951- The edges of the roof and desired may be supplemented by a suitable sealing material.

The valance 14 preferably consists of a single slat which is secured by the fasteners 54 to the members 32.

From the foregoing it is apparent there has been provided a construction whereby the relatively fragile material of fiber glass slats can be assembled together and mounted upon a supporting framework in a manner which will maintain the slats in fixed relation with ventilating apertures therebetween, and will lend support to the slats which are otherwise lacking in sufiicient rigidity to constitute a satisfactory material for a rigid awning.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device Will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A rigid ventilated awning comprising a supporting frame and an inclined roof panel mounted thereon, said panel including a plurality of horizontally elongated slats of a translucent material, the adjacent side edges of adjacent slats being disposed in vertically spaced and overlapping relation whereby to provide horizontal venting openings therebetween, fasteners disposed between the side edges of each slat for securing the same to said frame, spacers disposed between and supported solely by adjacent slats, said spacers comprising bodies having spaced slots opening from opposite sides thereof and frictionally embracing the adjacent edges of adjacent slats for longitudinal movement therealong.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the side edges of said slats are transversely curved and said slots of said spacers have straight walls for compressive and resilient reception of said curved side edges.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bodies a pair of opposite surfaces, said slots each opening from one of said surfaces and being parallel to each other.

4. A combined spacer fastener for securing adjacent edges of a pair of adjacent awning slats in fixed spaced and overlapping relation comprising a fiat block having a pair of opposite flat surfaces on opposite sides thereof, said body having a pair of slots each opening from one of said opposite surfaces and extending inwardly of the 'body, and in a direction generally parallel to each other, each slot having a pair of flat, parallel side walls adapted to frictionally and resiliently receive and grip the laterally curved side edge of an awning slat, said block having a width relatively small relative to the length of a pair of slats engaged thereby whereby to provide substantially no obstruction to air flow between the edges of a pair of adjacent slats.

5. A rigid ventilated awning comprising a supporting frame and an inclined roof panel mounted thereon, said panel including a plurality of horizontally elongated slats of a translucent material having laterally spaced longitudinal corrugations parallel to their side edges, the adjacent side edges of adjacent slats being disposed in vertically spaced and overlapping relation whereby to provide horizontal venting openings therebetween, fasteners disposed between the side edges of each slat for securing the same to said frame, spacers disposed between and supported solely by adjacent slats, said spacers comprising bodies having spaced slots opening from opposite sides thereof and frictionally embracing the adjacent edges of adjacent slats for longitudinal movement therealong.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 358,405 Niehaus Feb. 22, 1887 1,971,411 Higley Aug. 28, 1934 2,549,201 Hunter Apr. 17, 1951 2,576,422 Spradling Nov. 27, 1951 2,596,934 Langbein May 13, 1952 2,597,633 Graham May 20, 1952 2,619,692 Langley et a1. Dec. 2, 1952 2,632,213 Manley et al Mar. 24, 1953 2,650,393 Coward Sept. 1, 1953 2,680,886 Urban June 15, 1954 2,728,423 Brown Dec. 27, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 581,094 Great Britain Oct. 1, 1946 

